one that can speak English?"

The Duke struck his forehead with his open hand.

"Lord!" he said. "I never thought of that. We must have an Englishman.
Where shall we send?"

"Sir," said the Ambassador; "there is one at least at the Venetian
Resident's."

Again I broke in. (My impatience drove me near mad. Time was passing
quickly. I could have fetched a priest myself ten times over if the Duke
had but allowed me to go in the beginning.)

"Sir," said I, "for God's sake let me go first to Her Majesty's
apartments. I'll be bound there's one at least there that knows English.
Let this gentleman come with me."

The Duke stared at me as if bewildered. I think he saw that he had done
little but hinder the business, so far.

"Go," he said suddenly. "Go both of you together--Stay. Bring a priest
with you, if you can find one, to the little room behind the King's bed;
but bring him up the stairs the other way. Bid him stay till I send
Chiffinch to him."

Then we were gone at full speed.

CHAPTER XI

It was eight o'clock at night; and the priest and I were still waiting
in the little room; and no word was come through from the Bedchamber,
beyond that Mr. Chiffinch had come through once to bid us be ready.

* * * * *

Once again God had favoured us in spite of all our blunders. The Count
and I had run together through to Her Majesty's lodging and there we had
found, as I knew we should, a priest that knew English. But I had not
thought that God's Hand should be so visible in the matter as that we
should find none other but Mr. Huddleston himself, the Scotsman, that
had saved the King's life after the battle of Worcester. There was a
very particular seemliness in this--though I had not much time to think
of it then. But our difficulties were not all over.

First, Mr. Huddleston declared that he had never reconciled a convert in
his life; and did not know how to set about it. Next he said that he was
the worst man in the world to do it, as his face was very well known,
and that he would surely be suspected if he were seen: and third that
the Most Holy Sacrament was not in Whitehall at all, and that therefore
he could not give _Viaticum._ He looked very agitated, in spite of his
ruddy face.

I was amazed at the man; but I forced myself to treat him with patience,
for he was the only priest we could get.

First I told him that nothing was needed but to hear the King's
confessio